Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser hope to use win in Aland to close in on Emanuel and Alison

Todd Rogers (left) and Phil Dalhausser know a tournament win in Aland is vital to the defence of their FIVB Swatch World Tour title

Aland, Finland, August 17, 2011 - Reigning FIVB World Tour champions Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser have not yet given up on catching World Tour leaders Emanuel Rego and Alison Cerutti and plan to use the Paf Open in Aland to kick start their chas

The Brazilian pair are top of the standings with 6,220 points, while Rogers and Dalhausser are 120 behind on 6,100 points. They have won four tour events this year and finished on the podium on three other occasions.

"It would be very nice to defend out title here,” Rogers said. “At the World Championships we finished ninth and Phil had injured his ankle which put us off our play a bit.

“Alison and Emanuel look like the top two on tour, though if we do well in some tournaments and they don’t do so hot, then maybe we can catch them.”

The ninth place finish at the World Championships has meant that the defence of their World Tour crown has grown in importance for the duo.

The pair began the season in red hot form with wins at the China Shanghai Jinshan Open and the Brasilia Open. They also added wins at the Quebec Open Jeep 2011 and Mazury Orlen Grand Slam in Stare Jablonki, Poland.

“I think it’s very important,” Dalhausser said. “We want to defend our Tour title and our title here after we won when we competed here for the first time last year.

“If we win here we will be a little closer to Emanuel and Alison in the points table and then we could do it.”

Following the Paf Open in Aland there are only two more events on the men’s circuit. First there is the HP Beach Open in The Hague in August and then the Morocco Open in Agadir in early October.

After that all eyes will turn to 2012 and the chance for Rogers and Dalhausser to defend their Olympic gold in London.

“We started (preparations) in 2010. That’s how we did it for 2008,” Rogers said. “We went 2006, 07 and 08. We want to peak in London and we’ve been aiming to do that.”